I was there, at the end of 4-5 hours I was sitting in front of Jerry. The beginning of 8 days of madness in America.

The twin to Harpur but so fantastic on it own. As good as the atmospherics are in Harpur - this stands on its own greatness. Very fine versions down the entire first set - perhaps not the drop dead great versions - but very unique in arrangements and the guest contributions - which are really huge. Marmaduke all over this. I attended the Filmore set on this tour and these Alfred/Harpur shows were just awesome. June at Port Chester (and November!) these New riders / acoustic dead shows are the best because they were followed by electric sets that bristled with virtuosity. Heck TOO from Harpur is arguably the best ever.

This killer shows deserves to be downloadable! I neeeeeeed it!

This recording is wonderful. Got to love it.

I don't review shows typically, but the gorgeous high harmonies in Me and My Uncle and Mama Tried need to be heard.
I love both songs when played electric, but this easy acoustic is spectacular.

http://jgmf.blogspot.com/2011/05/ln-jg1970-05-01gdall-126minssbd.html

I own the Harpur College Dick's Pick's and this show is right up there with it. Great quality for a 1970 show and awesome setlist. Killer versions of their 'cowboy' repertoire, Me & My Uncle and Mama Tried...great The Other One and Hard To Handle as well...Hard to believe these guys would play these gigs to just 100 people or so...wish I could've been a fly on the wall of that auditorium in Alfred,NY!

Absolutely gorgeous. All the space around every note of the acoustic set is seamless, velvet-black. The vocals here are enchanting (listen to Bobby and Jerry on, of all things, Monkey & Engineer).

The electric stuff soars as well - Other One, NFA, the (cut) Lovelight - ten times yes! Will likely be among your personal faves.

And I haven't even heard a note of the electric set yet. Great sound! Thanks!!!

this is awesome, great era. that sounds like john dawson singing with bobby on mama tried, i love it!

I don't care how 'good' the second set is, the first set is unreal, Jerry singing on Mama Tried and MAMU...sound is perfect. This is gold! Actually upon further review I don't think Jerry is singing on those songs.

The little extra line Jerry throws in on I Know You Rider is a line from Jimmie Rogers Blue Yodel No.1, I believe. I guess it's just another shining example of how the Grateful Dead paid homage to those that came before. The quality of this one is amazing. All of it! The show, the transfer, and even the setlist! Thanks to Charlie for this one!

OMG Charlie..Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is the stuff we look for. To hear this crystal clear acoustic goodness...it just makes me finally realize what the internet was invented for....

Well...this and nekkid chicks.

This version of I Know You Rider has some alternate lyrics that I haven't heard before. [I'd rather drink muddy water; sleep in a hollow log, then to sleep here in Frisco; be treated like a dog.] Also from Wiki, it was the first song that Phil Lesh rehearsed with the band upon joining. However, Lesh was not confident enough in his own singing abilities to handle the song's lead vocal.

A great acoustic set with a nice Deep Elem Blues to warm us up.

Dig it, like uh.

I have lived near tiny Alfred NY all my life, and only recently found this. This is arguably one of the best acoustic sets they ever did! To think they actually played Alfred State, so wish I could have been there! Thank you archive for letting so many of us experience these shows when we were unable to be there!

In the cassette days this circulated as filler labeled St Louis, and in poorer quality. Now that we have this in MoM quality (magic of Miller) we now know it's much better than the more famous following day! (Dicks #8)

For my money the 1st set is the best acoustic set of the 1970 format. After the Deep Elem warmup each song is totally nailed. The second dead set (which followed an NRPS set) is also decent enough but with most shows from this period, the focus was on the acoustic set. It has a good Hard to Handle and Other One is also worth the time.

1st Set:  A+
2nd Set: C+
Overall:   B+
4 Stars

Highlights:
Rider - A near-perfect example of the acoustic/slow-folk version (also check 2/7/70)
Cumberland - The funky thumping type
Wake Up Little Susie
New Speedway - On Fallout from the Phil Zone

A+ versions of the following:
Monkey and the Engineer
Me and My Uncle
Mama Tried
Race is On

The Miller95683 source is the best representation of this show and is itself part of the art that has made this show enjoyable. Consider the fact that the vault has no master. (And we finally get to hear this Other One)

Great show.

a beautiful and classic wooden dead performance. every bit as good as the harpur college acoustic set.

Not too bad either... great 1st set & recording.

These versions of MAMU and Mama Tried ought to cure that. What an incredible acoustic set - every song is an absolute gem. The electric set is excellent too but almost seems to pale in comparison to that stellar acoustic set.

I have read comments often like the ones below that seem to suggest that there is some sort of artistic purity to be attached to being unpopular and bankrupt. Tell me. Do you think any band gets together and slogs it out on the road to build a fan base and puts out records so they can stay poor?? There is nothing wrong with the fact that after 1971 the Dead became popular and profitable. Get off your high horse.

That said....This is one sweet show. Thanks to all who were there back then to make sure that tapes survived.

I'm not sure why, but this version of Speedway Boogie is the only one that really stands out to me. Garcia never reproduced these shredding guitar leads again. His work on this song has been a clear example to me that he is the most lyrical guitar player I have ever heard. This show is the pinnacle of the "Workingman's Dead" era. Sit back and enjoy.

I am quite madly in love with this but very new to the glory...does anyone actually have this show ??

The acoustic set here is pure gold. Sound AND performance wise. Start to finish it's brilliant. Really.
The electric portion is scorcher in it's own rights. NFA burns. There are a few blemishes.
Still, this one is a keeper brothers and sisters.

There's some unusually lovely, on-key high harmony during the acoustic set - is that someone from NRPS sitting in?

Will rate it if/when I listen to the rest.

Sad...the material from source 3 (Cryptical Envelopment on) suffers from some pretty harsh oversaturation below ~ 125HZ. Even a fair bit of tweaking couldn't stop my subwoofer from acting up. Unfortunate, because both the playing and the material from the other sources is excellent.

super good me and my uncle!

alfred ny is just a couple of miles south east of alfred station in alegany couunty ny us of a

We needed more versions of CJ.

Hi
just found this site!

I was there. was a freshman. The show was at the Tech college, across the valley.
The acid was very good that nite, but I do remember hanging out with Phil and Mickey as they loaded the station wagons to split after the show.
I think there were maybe 50 people at the show - haha!!

Next nite was the magical Harpur college show - we drove in Wally's '61 bug to binghampton.

`

~^|\_@|@_/|^~
~<->/<->\<->~

Thirty nine years ago the GRATEFUL DEAD were in Alfred, NY wherever that is?

Why were they there? Because in 1970 the GRATEFUL DEAD were not a HUGE CORPORATE MONEY MACHINE, like most you know them.

They were the scariest, ugliest, freakiest, most bizzare show outside of a bonafide FREAK SHOW.

Most people today only know the GRATEFUL DEAD as this HUGE money making machine that only played coliseums. You missed it...so listen to the boys be the boys, without the big Bill Graham Production.

If you got turned on to the GRATEFUL DEAD after 1972, all you know of them is this huge money making machine. I remember when NOBODY would sign the GRATEFUL DEAD, I remember when Warner Bros, "GREEN LABEL" was losing money on the DEAD.

The fad of the "Hippy Scene" was exploited. Thank GOD the DEAD rejected that crap.

It's called show business, no business, no show.
This is before the business, before the corporations, before the avarice.

I think this is the best sounding, most complete set of songs for the May 1, 1970 show.

Okay there are several May 1, 1970 shows here on the IA. I got them all. I recommend you get them all too.

Get em' while you can, get em' while they're free, get em' now or you'll be sorry. The "Man" giveth and the "Man" taketh away.

Stereo mix, excellent recording, exceptional performances. A must have for any collector of 1970 GRATEFUL DEAD.

Me and My Uncle is in the pocket.

Sounds like Marmaduke (from the NRPS) is singing backup with Bobby on Mama Tried, written by Merle Haggard.

Electric GRATEFUL DEAD starts with Not Fade Away.

Hard To Handle is funky, Pigpen was the greatest front man I ever saw...The GRATEFUL DEAD were great, but they were the best when they had PIGPEN. Pigpen had soul, heart, and an unlimited amount of talent.

Cryptical Envelopement is sweet and jazzy...I loved the Ahthem of the Sun sets...no pun intended...

Eat, Drink, be Merry and Listen to the GRATEFUL DEAD.

Thanks for the Love.

Garcia WAS using an electric on that song - that's why it sounds like one. He always swapped out his acoustic for an electric on this tune.

This so fine, and it doesnt hurt that much of this is sourced from vault reels. What a treat having this incredible acoustic set in its entirety. (99 pts)

If thats all the better I could play I wouldn't even call myself a musician.